Hawaiian tree cotton

Description

Kokia drynarioides, commonly known as Hawaiian tree cotton, is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae, that is endemic to the Big Island of Hawaii. It inhabits dry forests at elevations of 455–1,915 m (1,493–6,283 ft). Associated plants include ʻāheahea (Chenopodium oahuense), ʻaʻaliʻi (Dodonaea viscosa), hala pepe (Pleomele hawaiiensis), wiliwili (Erythrina sandwicensis), uhiuhi (Caesalpinia kavaiensis), kōlea (Myrsine lanaiensis), ʻaiea (Nothocestrum latifolium), kuluʻī (Nototrichium sandwicense), ʻālaʻa (Pouteria sandwicensis), ʻohe kukuluāeʻo (Reynoldsia sandwicensis), māmane (Sophora chrysophylla), and maua (Xylosma hawaiiense var. hillebrandii). It is threatened by habitat loss and competition with invasive species, such as Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum). Kokia, with the common name treecotton, is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. All species within the genus are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands in the state of Hawaii.